Inspiring Stories » A Mother's Gratitute

Empowerment

It is unconscionable that I haven't written sooner to express my gratitude for my daughter Caroline's radiant transformation last summer after her 4 weeks in Grand Summer Sequence. Her month at The Option Institute is the most valuable personal experience in Caroline's life. I think she matured about 10 years in those 4 weeks, becoming a self-assured, positive, active adult rather than the hostile, pessimistic, non-performing, unmotivated adolescent couch potato – at age 23 – that I delivered to you last June.

When I popped in to visit her two weeks into the program, her transformation was already evident. She had overcome a negative image of her (perfectly acceptable) physical body and was able to get into a swimsuit for the first time in years; she had realized that she is smart despite her repeated academic difficulties; she felt enormously empowered by assuming responsibility for herself and her future; and, through understanding the dialogue technique, she had learned to defuse her knee-jerk aggressiveness. All that in two weeks!

This was not an easy process for Caroline but she found the courage to pursue the program thanks to loving solidarity from your staff and other participants.

After 4 weeks, she was a calm, happy, self-assertive young adult who came home and single-handedly found a job that she is interested in and in which she can perform at a level that satisfies her, reaping rewards from her employers and friends who find her "exceptional". She now thoroughly believes what everyone else has known for some time: that she is an attractive, smart and loving human being capable of leading a happy, successful life.

Caroline continues to enjoy the network of nice friends she made at the Option Institute and dreams of returning. She speaks often and highly of all the teachers and the Option mentors. Collectively, you were an extraordinary catalyst in her life. My heart feels as big as a watermelon when I see her new radiant persona. So, from this very, very grateful mom, thank you all! You gave us both a dream to live for – for ourselves and others.

Constance G. Konold